A call to battle
by RustyViko4ever
Summary: This is my first serious Zelda fic. Read and all will be made clear. Gannon rallies two countries towards war, Link brings a companion along on the rescue run, and one odd servant from the Castle knows how to get the Triforce; and can do it.
1. It begns

The Legend of Zelda:

A call to battle

1

"Link... dost thy hear it? Dost thou not feel it in thy bones? Surely thy can sense the taint of evil approaching this land; the inevitability of war. The call to battle. Link... dost thy hear it? Dost thou not feel it in thy bones? Link..."

With a gasp, a highly startled Link rose up out of bed, clutching his chest. After a series of heavy breaths, he took a moment to survey his surroundings, finding that he was nowhere but his temporary home. A small tent, with a makeshift cot on the earth that he rested on. Outside, he could hear Epona pawing the ground softly with a few snorts and grunts. All was well.

Except for that dream. It was so real, and so frightening. He could scarcely believe what he had seen in it, but he could practically smell the stench of war while it was happening. Those images... all of his friends cut down, lying in pools of their own blood. It was too horrible to dwell on, he decided. Surely nothing more then a bad dream.

Walking outside the tent, he stretched out vigorously. As he did so, he noticed the beauty and tranquility of the forest. Plants still had dew on them, morning flowers were budding, and a very light fog swirled about gently. How long had it been since he left Hyrule? If he remembered correctly, it had been somewhere around 3 years. His thoughts wandered to all of the places he had been to during his journeys.

His first encounter, with the demon mask of Majora, had occurred slightly under a few weeks after venturing off through the woods. After he finished there, he had continued traveling for some time, a few months, coming across many small and friendly villages as he went. He had learned of many things during his travels, like how very many kingdoms there were in this land. He had passed through at least three by now, each time being greeted heartily by the monarchy. It seemed that his deeds as a hero had traveled through time and space with ease; perhaps by that happy mask fellow?

It was about two years ago, Link recalled, that he had come across a strange and desolate castle. Somehow or another, it contained either a symbolic version or an actual manifestation of the Triforce, and he had been sent to Holodrum. Truly a great adventure he had taken part in there, but just as he thought he was done, he was sent to Labrynna. And once again the people asked for him to fulfill his role as hero. 

Never would Link have expected to see Princess Zelda there! And as such, he never would have expected to see Gannon there. It was quite a surprise indeed to see one of his best friends and his greatest enemy both in one strange place. Despite the strangeness, he had overcome the hardships, saved Princess Zelda and defeated Gannon once again.

Over the next two years, he had continued to do his deeds of bravery, growing ever stronger as he did. He assisted in things ranging from leading revolts against evil tyrants, to saving farms and villages from pillagers, right down to finding lost children. Anywhere assistance was needed, he was ready to lend a hand. But, one thing had never seemed completely right to Link. True, he felt great for all of his wonderful acts, but he felt as though he was missing something.

Then, there was that dream again. He couldn't seem to force it out of his mind completely. As a matter of fact, he felt drawn ever closer to Hyrule. The call to battle... he had best return to ensure that nothing happen to his homeland.

"Let's ride, Epona." 

Epona whinnied affectionately, and Link quickly retrieved his stuff from inside the tent. A quiver of arrows, a bow, his trusty sword made from the finest metal in all of Ravniel, (one of the many kingdoms he had visited), and the hero's shield. Slinging it all onto his back, the bow hanging from two hooks on his shield, and a bag of Deku seeds hanging from his side, he hopped up onto Epona. With a spirited yell, he sent his heels into her middle, and off they went into the mist. They were going back to Hyrule.

Right at this same time, Princess Zelda was having plenty of worries. She had experienced a dream very similar to Link's, and took it for a prophecy. She foresaw a Great War between Hyrule and a neighboring kingdom; probably, she thought, the one they were presently trying to improve relations with. The kingdom of Yixgrin, just to the northwest of the Zora's Domain, was the one she thought of. It was a very powerful kingdom, having control of gigantic forests, large steel mills, the best blacksmiths, and a very happy population.

It was natural the Hyrule would want to be friends with such a country. As such, diplomatic interactions were taking place at that very moment. The ambassador of Yixgrin was in Hyrule Castle, and the ambassador of Hyrule was in Yixgrin Castle. In fact, Zelda was just about to go see that ambassador, to have a talk with her. She had plenty of things to discuss.

Quickly dismissing her attendants, she left her chambers and had a few guards escort her to the room where the conference was taking place. As she peered through the door, she saw that her father and the ambassador were enjoying themselves over some wine. She relaxed a bit, seeing this wouldn't be as bad as she thought; at least that was how it appeared to her. 

The King took notice of his daughter quickly, and beckoned for her to sit down with them. "Come, Zelda, meet the ambassador of Yixgrin, Lady Yi."

Yi was sitting quite relaxed, giving Zelda a brief wave while still sipping her wine. Zelda curtsied briefly, as was appropriate, and took a seat across from Yi. The King called out for another round of drinks. The server bowed and moved to gather some. Zelda took notice of the odd way that server always seemed to behave; it was as if, somehow, he could read the thoughts of people. And he had a shifty eyed gaze, too. Zelda didn't like him very much, but all of the other servers had mysteriously become too sick to do anything. 

"So, Princess Zelda, your father tells me that Hyrule has many things to offer in an alliance. We were just getting in to some of those things. What do you think are some of Hyrule's finer points?"

Yi spoke with a respectful voice, and seemed to be a very nice person. Almost too nice, Zelda thought, but as an after-note she realized she was probably just being paranoid. There was no reason to aggravate the situation. Thinking for a brief moment, she gave her answer.

"I would have to say the Lon-Lon Ranch is one of the best parts of Hyrule. They make the best milk anyone has ever tasted, even travelling gourmands. And they breed very good horses. Then there's Kokiri forest; true enough, the Kokiri don't like us Hylians very much, but ever since Gannondorf vanished mysteriously, they've warmed up some. The forest is beautiful."

Yi looked a bit surprised when Zelda had said Gannondorf. Choking it back, she continued. "Interesting. I don't know who this Gannondorf is, or why he would have anything to with inter-race relations, but it sounds like Hyrule is a very lovely place."

The King took this time to include himself in the conversation. "Yes, Gannondorf was a very strange man indeed. He was a Gerudo, the only male of their race born in one hundred years, and he wielded awesome power. He claimed to be allied with me for his life, but I was never too sure. Then one day, he just disappeared without as much as a goodbye. Ah, the drinks are here!"

The server bent over and placed the tray containing three goblets of wine on the table. Each person reached for one, and took a quick sip. But just as conversation was about to continue, a choking sound could be heard from Yi's throat. Worried eyes looked at Yi from Zelda, the King, and Yi's guards. She was clutching her throat, and her eyes bugged out a bit. Then they rolled upwards, her eyelids closed, her arms fell limp and her body slacked. To all that were watching, it would seem she was dead.

"Oh my gosh!" Zelda shrieked. She rushed over to see if she could help, while the King shouted furiously.

"Where did that server go! I'll have him beheaded for poisoning the ambassador!"

But he was nowhere to be seen. The guards held Zelda back, already doing the work. It was obvious; there was no breathing, no respiration, and her skin already felt clammy; Yi was dead. One of the guards picked her up, another one looked down and frightened, and the other stared accusingly at the king.

"You will pay dearly for this. NO one gets away with poisoning a Yixgrin diplomat!"

The King glared fiercely right back at him, and stood up from his chair.

"How dare you accuse me of such! That server is obviously a traitor to Hyrule, and he will be put to death for sure, but I had nothing to do with it. If you were a citizen of Hyrule, you would be on your way to the gallows for saying what you just did. Since you are not, however, you and your company will have to face something different, until we can resolve this situation."

The guard scoffed at him. "Do you mean to say that you would put us in prison? You would be bringing down the full wrath of Yixgrin upon yourself! I suggest you calm down and think it through. My company and I will be returning to our kingdom now, and we will be taking Lady Yi with us for a proper burial. Do not try to stop us; you are in enough trouble as it is, sir King."

He was left speechless. Zelda just stood there, a concerned and somewhat frustrated look on her face, as she looked from one figure to the other. Before another word could be said, the three guards had left, and a plethora of Hyrule soldiers came into the room from the other end. 

"We heard yelling, my Lord. Is something the matter?"

The King looked at them with a grave face. "Yes, very much so. But we have a first priority. Find the server who was catering to us at this meeting, and have his head put under the axe! He may have just doomed all of Hyrule."

"Understood, my Lord. Search the castle!" All of the guards rushed back out to find the wanted man. The King sat down, highly frustrated. Zelda crept slowly back to her chambers, contemplating what all of this must mean. Her worst fears were coming true. Nothing good would come of this.


	2. Evil design

****

2

After his last defeat, the King of Evil was unsure what to do next. Twinrova was no more, but somehow his presence was not quite as noticed as he had expected. He remembered everything... his seven-year reign of terror over Hyrule, and that somehow he had been taken out of one time and flung back into another. And as a backlash effect, he was once again sent to the cursed sacred realm. The boy, Link, remembered his name. But the princess did not. How very strange.

After nearly two years of considering his predicament, he came across an epiphany. If he himself could not defeat Link, perhaps an entire kingdom's army could. He would sow the seeds of evil in the land, and reap the fruits of the war it would produce. Link would have to return to defend his home of Hyrule, and he would be caught in a vicious battle. Then he would be struck down, and there would be nothing to stop him from reigning as supreme evil once again.

Truly, it was an ingenious plan, worthy only of a Gerudo such as himself. His first step had been, of course, to find some puppets. He could sense evil energy in the true world, and he could tap into it, amplify it, and control it. It was Lady Yi he contacted first. The ambassador of Yixgrin was a magnificent catch. She held enormous power, and no one would suspect her of anything. But to perfect his plan, he would need another pawn.

Cedric was his next victim. A server at Hyrule Castle, Cedric had always been jealous of the princess. He had an incredible power lust, and thought that he could do much better things if he had the princess's position. In his eyes, she was nothing but a weak minded fool, not worthy of the throne. He was worthy. He should be the prince of Hyrule.

Perhaps he would be. When Gannon touched his mind, he could sense the raw power, and became addicted to it. It was a small step from there for him to become Gannon's slave. And with Gannon's powers, Lady Yi's intelligence, and Cedric's ability to deceive the royal family of Hyrule, it would be easy to convince the two countries to fight. There were bonuses for Lady Yi, as well.

She was a student of magic. But, as a diplomat of Yixgrin, she was forced to be almost constantly mulling over doctrines and holding conversations with foreign countries. She had no time to pursue the acts of being a wizard, and Yixgrin valued her too much to just let her go. She would do anything to be rid of that country. Even send it spiraling into war, and down the drain of destruction.

Plus, with Gannon at her side, she could become an even more capable wizard. Her powers would grow immensely, and maybe Gannon would even give her a kingdom of her own to rule after she had learned all that she needed. And, to top it all off, she hated Hyrule. She had heard rumors of the Triforce that was held in Hyrule, and was vastly jealous that such a small and weak country could contain such an artifact. To make it worse, she had heard that the Triforce had been lost from Hyrule forever; the thought of a kingdom being careless enough to loose such power sickened her.

Of course, Gannon never told her that he held the Triforce of Power in his hand. No one needed to know that yet. What was most important now was the safe return of Cedric and Yi to their lair, deep in the range of mountains that contained one known as Death. They had work to do there.

Yi was not, in fact, dead. It was only made to appear that way. Truly they had worked out an ingenious plan. The server at Yi and Zelda's meeting was Cedric, but he did not look the part. After making all of the other servers sick, he borrowed some magic powder that Yi had taken the time to make. It changed one server named Eric to look like Cedric, and made Cedric look like Eric. Then the meeting took place.

Cedric had slipped something into Yi's wine, but it was not poison. Rather, it was a magical substance that caused the soul to separate from the body, provided another body had already been drained of life and given the same stuff. That body happened to be none other then Yi's sister, Lamia. Lamia was a very pretty girl; far prettier then Yi, to be sure. Her nose was smaller, her eyes were brighter, and her figure was better. Yi had hated her for that. Now, she was glad; for it was her body now, and she had always wanted it.

In the end, it worked out perfectly. To all other eyes, Yi had been killed in Hyrule, and Lamia lived on. Eric got stuck with the blame, while Cedric got away by ducking out quickly and ending the powder's effect. At night of that tragic day, Cedric made his escape under a dark cloak and a stolen horse. He reached Kakariko quickly, and made his way up Death Mountain. Near the entrance to the Dodongo's Cavern, there was an oddly shaped rock. He picked it up and tapped the stone wall nearby with it three times in rapid succession. The stone vanished, exposing a tunnel.

He made his way through, chuckling softly to himself for some time. Six feet and two inches of man made their way down the corridor, covered in baggy gray pants, a black tunic and a blue cloak. Black hair that reached down his face a good way in sideburns was accompanied by deep blue eyes. A firm musculature supported the body, but not in an incredibly strong sense. He was handsome, yes, but not super strong.

When he finally reached the cavern at the end, there was Yi, in Lamia's body. The cavern contained an altar, with a picture similar in form to Gannon himself on it. Many torches burned incense, making many different colored flames and a generally displeasing scent. The room looked beautiful, of course, for a rock cavern.

Also beautiful was Yi. Standing at about 5'9" with her high heels on, she matched the height of most of the torches there. Chestnut hair cascaded down just past her shoulders; deep, sparkling crimson eyes watched Cedric enter; cherry lips parted shortly so that a tongue matching in color could glide over them quickly; and hips covered by no more then a mini skirt swayed back and forth as she approached him. From the skirt up, she wore a tight fitting tunic that betrayed her every curve. Her entire outfit was but one color: pale lavender.

Cedric smiled to both her and him, betraying his less then perfect teeth. "I take it you like your new body, Lady Yi?"

She got right next to Cedric, the tips of her breasts, which were a good medium size, touching his chest. She tossed a few locks of hair out of her face, and smiled brightly, yet at the same time wickedly, at him.

"Very much so. What did you think of my final performance in that old body?"

She stepped a little closer.

"I couldn't see much of it, but I'm sure it was good. Have you been getting work done for Master Gannon?"

She nodded, turning around and walking towards the altar. Cedric followed her, looking down at her butt until she turned once again. Then he looked at her face. She just smiled.

"As you know, Yixgrin will be preparing forces to combat Hyrule as soon as those troops get back with my dead body. You are also probably aware that Hyrule would be defeated in about two months, correct?"

Cedric nodded.

"Master Gannon says that Link will not be able to make it back to Hyrule for a year, assuming he is distracted by nothing else. The war must last long enough for Link to return. So, we've been devising a way to give Hyrule somewhat of an advantage."

"That makes sense. But why did we start this whole thing right now then?"

Yi smiled that wicked smile again and got close to Cedric once more. She placed her arms around his neck, and whispered into his ear. "Because..."

"Because?"

In a drastic change, she sent a knee to his gut, then stepped back. "Because, it was convenient at the time. Hyrule and Yixgrin happened to be negotiating. And, any evil in this land gives Master Gannon strength. Once he gains enough of it, we will be able to summon him to this land. The sooner the better, I think we can both agree."

After finishing being doubled over, Cedric replied. "Yes, of course. How stupid of me not to realize."

Yi chuckled. "Indeed. Just like most men, you miss the simplest things so easily."

A voice thundered throughout the room, amplified by the cavernous walls.

"Ah, Lady Yi, you would have made a fine Gerudo. You certainly possess most of their distinguishing characteristics. I trust you have a progress report for me?"

The piggish head of Gannon appeared floating over the altar. Both Cedric and Yi gave a snappy salute, and Yi spoke out. "Yes, Master Gannon. The war has been set in motion. Hyrule will be attacked within weeks. But what are we to do to keep the war from ending before Link arrives?"

A grunting sound echoed about. The response came soon. "Rally the Gerudo. Tell them this war is for the glory of Gannondorf. They will stand by the Hylians against Yixgrin. And feel free to intervene whenever you feel necessary; I am sure that with your powers of mind, Yi, that you will be able to convince certain Yixgrin soldiers to switch sides. As for you, Cedric..."

He spoke up. "Yes, Master Gannon?"

"Go to Yixgrin, and make sure that the ambassador from Hyrule dies. We want both sides to be enraged enough to ensure a bloody war. Yi... slow down the soldiers who are on their way. Ensure that Cedric arrives first."

Both replied. "Yes, Master Gannon."

Gannon emitted a chuckle, which sounded like a tornado inside the room. "Very well. Report to me after you have completed these tasks."

And with that, a rush of wind occurred right over the altar, and the piggy face disappeared. Cedric and Yi looked at each other. Both smiled wickedly, the way they had a tendency to do. Cedric looked up and down Yi's new body, and she did a bit of the same. Yi spoke first.

"You know, I don't have to get right on casting a slow spell on them now... it could easily wait a while."

Cedric came in. "I agree. We could easily wait another 8 hours or so, and I could still make it before them. We have time."

Yi went next. "So... what shall we do while we wait?" She winked, bumping one of her hips into Cedric's crotch area. Cedric chuckled. "Do you have to ask?"

Before another word was spoken, their mouths met with a passionate kiss. Tongues invaded each other's space, and soon they were both down on cold rock, making love. Gannon's attention was now diverted elsewhere, of course. He was observing poor Eric in Hyrule Castle, quivering in the dungeon. He relished knowing that more atrocities would soon be committed, and by the King of Hyrule himself! It was truly a good day for evil.


	3. Twists and Ties

****

3

As it was, Link was also having a good day. He and Epona had been riding from early morning to lunchtime, at which point they stopped near a forest stream to have a break. Epona indulged herself with the fresh, clear water, while Link went off in search of berries and tubers. His watchful eye also roved in search of small game, like a rabbit, that he might have to eat as well. When he noticed something moving through the bushes, he stood silent, and strung an arrow on his bow. He held the thing tight, and waited for his target to come out.

When a girl's head came out through the bottom of the bushes, he practically fell back on his butt with surprise. He held his ground, though, put the arrow back in his quiver, and the bow back on his shield. A brow raised on the forehead of the girl as she regarded the very confused and somewhat startled Link.

"What?"

She finished crawling out from the bushes, and stood to her full height, which was about one inch less then Link. She had blue hair that came down evenly around her head, stopping exactly at her jawbone, and a bright pair of green eyes. Her attire was boots much the same as those Link wore, pale red pants that were similar in makeup, and a loose pink tunic. She also wore an inquisitive smile, and her arms crossed as she shifted her weight onto one leg.

Link was, as usual, short on words. He managed to speak anyway, though. "Oh, nothing. It was just that I was expecting a rabbit to come out of there, and I just about put an arrow through your head."

Now it was her turn to be surprised. She chuckled a bit, though. "What do you take me for? A helpless little girl, or something?"

Link just let his jaw drop a bit. "No... nothing like that... it's just that no one can dodge an arrow at _this_ range."

"Oh really? How can you be so sure?"

Link sighed, shaking his head and looking down a bit. He looked up again, though, because he had some things he wanted to know.

"Look, never mind that. Why are you out here all alone? And what are you crawling through the bushes for?"

The smile on her face disappeared quickly. Now she looked towards the ground.

"Well... I live here in the forest, you see. And I was crawling through the bushes because I was looking for something."

Link felt a little nervous. He had a schedule to keep if he ever wanted to make it to Hyrule, and he didn't know if he had time to stop and help her look for whatever it was. He felt sure he would be asked soon enough. Then again, she was pretty. Her eyes met his once again.

"You look like an adventurous guy. You'll help me find it, won't you?"

She put on the puppy dog eyes routine. Link sighed; there was just no way he could say no. It went against his nature. So he nodded as well.

"Sure. I'm Link, by the way."

He extended a hand. She looked a little confused for a moment, then shook the hand vigorously. With a big smile, she pronounced her own name.

"I'm Skyla."

"Pleased to meet you, Skyla."

She giggled loudly.

"What?"

"Nothing. Come on, we have to find it!" she beckoned, turning and waving a hand is if to ask for Link to follow her.

"What exactly is it, anyway?"

Her head turned over her shoulder, still smiling. "My earring. It's shaped like a star."

"Okay. Do you have the other one? That would give me a better idea of what to look for."

Again, she giggled, turning around all the way. "Why yes, in my right ear. See?"

She turned her ear toward him. Indeed, there was a star earring. It was about half of the size of her entire ear. Link got closer so he could have a better look; this particular earring happened to be the same color as the foliage, so he would need quite a good mental image of what it looked like. When he got a few feet away, Skyla asked him something.

"Do you have what it looks like now?"

"Yes, I do."

Once more, she giggled. "Great." She turned her head and leaned forward a bit, giving Link a kiss on the cheek. From there, she turned and ran off into the woods, giggling all the way. Link was flabbergasted.

"Girls... I don't understand them."

He gave a quick glance around the area, and noticed an odd-looking tree trunk. It had a hole in it. Reaching his hand in, he felt something metallic. Pulling it out, he recognized it to be Skyla's earring. He sighed, shaking his head.

"I really don't understand them."

Figuring he had better go make sure she had her earring, he started following her path through the woods. But at just that moment, he heard a scream that sounded like Skyla's, and then a loud neigh from Epona. He rushed back to the creak.

He wasn't that far away, so he managed to see what had just happened. Epona had been struck down, though there was no blood. He rushed over to inspect her; she seemed fine, but her head had taken a massive blow. She would need a lot of rest. Then he noticed the culprit.

Dragging Skyla, gagged and cuffed, were two tall men, each wearing a suit of armor. Scouts for an army, perhaps. If that were the case, Skyla was probably on her way to a very bad place. Link chased after them, calling out, "Hey, stop!"

The scouts seemed to notice. The dropped Skyla and turned around. They started speaking to each other. "Look, there's another one."

"Yeah, I know. But the general didn't tell us to expect two of them."

"I know. This is weird. Maybe we should try talking to him?"

"I don't know. It could be a trick. Maybe we should just take him into custody with the girl."

"No, we might get in trouble for that. Maybe we should just ignore him."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's go."

They continued to drag Skyla along, and Link was just plain confused. He continued to chase after them. "Stop! What are you doing to Skyla?"

Again they stopped, dropped Skyla, and turned around. "We're taking her back to the camp by orders of our general. Get out of here kid, this forest is gonna be a war zone soon!"

Great, just what I need, thought Link. "I'm going back to your camp with you then. I can't let you hurt Skyla! I made a promise to give her something!"

The scouts looked at each other, then laughed.

"Hurt her? Kid, you have the totally wrong idea. She is one of the General's spies!"

"Then explain the gagging and cuffing."

"She's very rambunctious. We surprised her somehow, and she screamed, so this guy here," one said, nudging the other, "bashed her in the head. To make sure she didn't struggle or scream anymore when she woke up, we gagged and cuffed her. She'll be fine once she gets back to the camp, if this bozo doesn't mess up again."

"Hey, come on, you're the one who keeps dropping her!"

"Only because you let go first!"

"Hey, I was the one who suggested we carry her!"

"But then we'd have to tie her legs, too."

"Oh. Right... sorry."

"It's okay. Let's just get her to the camp, okay?"

"What about him?" A thumb towards Link, who stood looking incredibly bothered by the obvious incompetence of these military men. He almost felt sorry for them, but he felt much sorrier for Skyla.

"Huh. I don't know. He's obviously not a spy for our side. And I don't recall there being any forest dwellers here. He might even be a scout for the enemy!"

"Then I guess we have to take him into custody, don't we?"

"Seems so. So, kid, are you gonna put your weapons down and come peaceably or do we have to knock you out too?"

Link shook his head. "First of all, I wouldn't let you have my weapons on any grounds. And second, there are no ways in which two people like you could beat me. But I don't want to fight anyway. And for another thing, why did you knock my horse in the head? Surely Epona wasn't threatening you."

Again the two guards looked at each other, then back at him. "We didn't touch your horse."

"...What?" Now everyone looked confused. And then, with the sound of rustling leaves, all eyes turned to the sight of a beast emerging from the trees. Not just any beast, though: it was quite obviously one to be classified as a monster. It stood at over seven feet tall, and that was in its squatted positioned. It was a solid gray color, covered in ugly scales. It had gigantic, muscular legs, the knees of which bent backward, with three forward talons and a backward talon on each foot. The arms came out from its back, then bent forward into a pair of powerful limbs, each one ending in a sphere of solid bone covered only by a thin layer of chitin. The head was a rounded rectangle resting between the massive shoulders, with two bright yellow eyes, and an almost grinning mouth of pointy teeth. 

The two scouts cowered. "Oh my God! It's one of _them_!"

Their expression was one indicative of total and complete terror. Faced with a beast like that, most people would behave similarly. The monster's gaze shifted from stalwart Link, who had already tossed his bow aside, put his shield on his right arm and his sword in the hand of his left arm, to the lying form of Skyla, to the shivering soldiers. Apparently, it could taste their fear. It charged out after the two, who ran away as fast as they could. The monster was just a bit faster. Link could now see it's scaly backside, and noticed a thin, but long, tail. He would have to watch out for that. 

Of course, he didn't want the beast to eat those two soldiers for lunch, so he dropped his sword, found his bow and strung an arrow to it. Before the beast could get out of sight, he shot the arrow into the back of its head. Upon contact, it dug in for a short distance. The monster wailed in pain, and turned around quickly. It noticed Link as the oppressor.

As such, it rushed at him with amazing speed. Quickly stringing another arrow, he launched it straight into the beast's eye. Coming to a screeching halt, it moaned, and attempted to bend its arms at the proper angle, so he could remove the arrow. Link saw opportunity. He grabbed his sword and rushed behind the monster.

Climbing up its back, he prepared to plunge his sword into the head, but was stopped by none other then the tail he had thought he told himself to watch out for. It grabbed him around the chest, under his shoulders, and slammed him into a tree. The arrow was out of the beast's eye now, and it turned to face his victim. The grin still seemed to be there. Link struggled to escape, but he found himself winded. He prepared for the end as one of those bone hammers cocked back to a ready position. And just as he was sure that hammer would grind his head into a bloody pulp, his salvation came.

A moan echoed from the beast, and the tail fell away from Link, dropping him the short distance to the forest floor. He rolled out of the way just in time to avoid being squashed as the monster fell forward. Behind it was Skyla, who had just shoved a dagger into its head. She looked deadly serious, in stark contrast to what Link had seen from her before, and Link just looked very surprised and tired. She approached him, the seriousness turning to worry.

"Link, you're hurt!"

He couldn't help but chuckle, and reach into one of the many pockets his tunic seemed to have. He handed her the star earring. Her face was confused at first, then lit up.

"As promised... there's your earring... ugh..."

"Link?"

But he could not hear her. He blacked out on the spot. She looked at the trail of blood that was coming from his shield arm, and winced slightly. Rolling his tunic up, she tore a bit of it off to make a tourniquet. The two scouts came back, slowly, one of them holding Link's sword. Both gave a sharp salute to Skyla. She returned it, and to calm their nervous looks, she smiled and nodded, then went back to cleaning Link's arm.

"Lieutenant Skyla, will he be all right?"

"Yes... but he will need to rest a lot. So will his horse. Private, go and get some more men so we can take the horse back to camp. I'll take the sword. Sergeant, stay here with me in case if anything else shows up. The smell of death could attract any number of things.

"Yes ma'am."

Both said this at the same time, though the sergeant was obviously a little more worried. Skyla had now finished cleaning off Link's arm, and saw that nothing else needed immedeate attention. She set Link's sword down next to him.

"Stay here. I'm going to get some cold water for him."

"Yes ma'am."

She returned to the stream, where she tore off a piece of her own tunic and got it soaking wet in the stream. Going back to Link, she let the excess drip into his mouth, then placed it on his forehead. She now took the time to put in her other earring, smiling down at Link. With a delicate hand, she slid a few strands of his hair out of his face. The sergeant just patrolled around the area, sword drawn and ready to defend. As it happened, this was completely unnecessary, though it did make Skyla feel better. She gathered his bow and shield, both of which he had dropped, and placed them down next to Link.

With a sigh, she got up and went over to the fallen body. Already the flies were starting to gather. She retracted her dagger, and went to wash it off in the stream. When that was done, she slipped it back into hilt that was hidden on her thigh, underneath her pant leg. Once again, she made her way back to Link and the Sergeant, and made a suggestion.

"Sergeant, why don't you go make sure the horse is okay? Make it as comfortable as possible."

"Are you sure you want me to leave you, ma'am?"

"I'll be fine. Go."

"Yes ma'am."

Sheathing his sword, he went back to where Skyla had just been. Confident that she was out of his vision, Skyla knelt down next to Link, and placed a soft, quick kiss on his lips. At least, she tried to make it quick. But when she tried to stand back up, she found that Link's arm had snaked its way around her neck, and was trying to prolong the kiss. Profoundly surprised, she struggled free, and stared down at him with a fictional gaze of accusation. His eyes opened, and he smiled up at her.

"You little trickster! You were never unconscious, were you!"

"Maybe. That's for me to know and you to find out."

"Ooh. I can't believe you did that!"

"Neither can I. Strange world, isn't it?"

"You know, I could just leave you here to die when the enemy army shows up."

"But what if I can get up and walk?"

"You're kidding. After a battle like that?!"

He chuckled, sending a hand up to her. "Help me up."

She silently complied, both amazed and amused. He got to his feet with a minor struggle, breathing heavily.

"So, where's Epona? Is she alright?"

"Your horse? She's okay, I think. I sent one of the scouts to check her out, and the other is bringing back some more people so we can carry her back to the camp."

"Really? Wow, that's great! But... wait a second... the scouts were taking orders from you?"

She smirked. "You bet. I outrank them."

Link's jaw dropped involuntarily, but he shoved it back into place. "Unbelievable. How did you get to be a ranking officer?"

"Because of the simple fact that I happen to have all of the skills required of a spy. And, the General thinks that I have commanding blood in my body. He says that with time I may even be able to lead an army; not that I would ever want to, of course. The fact is, I'm a spy because I find it fun. Leading an army wouldn't be."

Link was now laughing just underneath a hysteric level. "Are you telling me the truth? Being a spy is fun to you? With things like that," he looked over at the carcass, "walking about?"

She nodded. "Yup. Very fun. I met you, didn't I? Besides, they never see me." She giggled.

"Yes... but I don't see how that has anything to do with it."

She giggled even more. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough."

Before he could ask her anymore, the sergeant came back. "Lieutenant, the horse seems to be doing fine. Really, she's just tired out and has a huge bump on her head. She won't be able to walk for a few days, I suspect, but she'll be as good as ever then."

Reactions now were mixed. Link was disappointed, hearing that he would have to stay here for even longer then he had planned to do, especially since this was turning into a war zone. Skyla, on the other hand, was delighted.

"Wonderful! Now we won't have to worry about poor Link needing a new ride."

The way she said that somehow told Link that she was happy because he was staying, not because his ride would be okay. When he thought about it, it made sense. Though one thing didn't.

"Hey, that monster over there... you called it one of 'them'. Just what exactly is it?"

The sergeant looked surprised. "You don't know? They are the advance scouts of the enemy army. We call them Stalkers, just so that we don't have to refer to them by reference to their appearance."

Link looked shocked. "The enemy army uses things like that?"

The sergeant started to explain, but Skyla butted in and did it herself. "Yes, Link. Most of their forces aren't as gruesome, but they are just as deadly. They are mostly creatures of the forest, but they have been twisted by evil magic. Even humans have fallen under the monstrous spell."

Link became slightly confused. "What could have twisted something into a Stalker?" he asked. Skyla choked a bit.

"Those are Yargon's creations... Yargon is a sorcerer from the kingdom of Yixgrin, who the King banished here for his arcane studies. He didn't realize that our kingdom of Naryia was so abundant in magic, though, and Yargon has grown immensely powerful. He wishes revenge on Yixgrin, for certain, but obviously wants to get as many creatures under his control as possible. So he has launched an attack on us."

Link practically lost his voice. He had heard of a lot of sick things before, but this just topped it off.

"What have you been doing about this?"

"Well, we sent diplomats to Yixgrin to beg for reinforcements, but that was almost two years ago. Unless they come soon, all we can do is hold them off as long as possible. But we'll never be able to beat them by ourselves."

"That's horrible, Skyla! I wish there was some way I could help, but I need to return to my own kingdom of Hyrule. I can feel it calling out to me. I really can't stay to help you... unless..."

"Link?"

He turned away from the others and started pondering. He recalled his fight with the wizard Veran, and wondered if there was any way that he could apply the knowledge he had acquired there to this situation. 

"Hmm... Do Yargon's warriors have any weaknesses?"

"Actually, yes. We have found that they hate the light, and that bright enough light can stun them, or even kill the weaker ones."

Link turned around to face them. "And you said this land is flowing with magical energy to tap into, correct?"

"Indeed. The soil of Naryia flows with mana."

Link smirked. "I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you once we get back to the camp. I'm still working out some of the main ideas for it, but if I can figure this out, I may be able to give you a huge advantage."

Both the sergeant and Skyla grew very excited. At just that moment, the private returned with a score of 7 other men. They all saluted, and received the return salute from Skyla.

"Men, follow the sergeant to the horse, and carry her back to the camp."

"Yes ma'am!"

They moved quickly. Link chuckled. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to them addressing you as ma'am. How old are you, anyway?"

She giggled in spite of herself.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing, never mind. I'm fifteen. Well, almost. And you?"

"I'm about 6 months less then that."

Her giggling continued. "I don't suppose that you're embarrassed because you kissed someone half a year younger then you, are you?" asked Link.

The giggles stopped. She looked at him with a sweet smile. "No, as a matter of fact. I think that its funny that someone half a year younger then me was able to trick me into thinking that he was unconscious."

Link looked about, and noticed that the soldiers had left with his horse, going around them. Then he looked at her, smiling himself. He stepped close to her, and whispered into her ear.

"I didn't trick you. I was unconscious. You woke me up, and I held you down."

She giggled softly again. 

"You know, you're pretty cute when you giggle like that."

She took a step back from him. "Really? Do you think so?"

He took a step forward. "Really. I think so."

She took a step forward. Their bodies were about two inches apart. "Thank you, Link."

"You're very welcome, Skyla."

And without another word, their mouths met with a kiss, and arms wrapped around each other. After a few moments, Skyla stepped back. "Link... we had better head back to the camp now. They'll get worried otherwise. Besides, who knows when another one of those Stalkers might show up? C'mon!"

She turned and dashed off after the soldiers. Link started to follow her, then remembered that his legs still felt like jelly. Skyla seemed to remember as well, for she came back and supported him as they walked back to the camp. At one point, Link's hand slid down towards her butt, and she tripped him for it. He claimed it was an accident; whether it was or not, Skyla had not truly minded. But instinct was instinct. Then again, instinct was instinct, if one thought about it the right way.


	4. Warriors near and far

4

Cedric and Yi had eventually gotten to the chores Gannon had assigned them. Cedric followed a secret path through the mountains on his way to Yixgrin, whilst Yi transported herself to the plains near the Zora's River. She quickly located the group returning to her home country, carrying her dead body. How very odd, to see your own body being carried away. Oh well.

It didn't take long for her to conjure up a spell to ensnare the group. After she finished casting it, they all perceived things far slower then they were actually occurring. It was quite a useful spell indeed, though it only worked on weak people. That wasn't too limiting of a factor, though, since weak was relative, and Yi was very powerful indeed.

With that done, and the knowledge that Cedric was well on his way to Yixgrin, Yi headed swiftly to Gerudo Valley. Meanwhile, big things were happening at Hyrule Castle. 

Princess Zelda had been suspicious of Eric, but somehow she got the feeling that he might not have been the real culprit. Something about the whole thing just seemed too well rehearsed. She put in a plea to keep Eric alive, and the King, being the good-natured man he was, decided to let him live, for a short while anyway. Zelda decided to interrogate him.

Of course, Eric was being held in the dungeon, and since the King still considered him to be dangerous, he sent a few guardsmen to escort Zelda on her way. Zelda did not appreciate this very much, but she knew it was better to go along with the wishes of her father. She was lucky enough that Eric hadn't already been killed.

Eventually, she made it to his cell, and the guards moved out of earshot, but close enough that they could still see what was going on. Eric looked pitiful; he had apparently been crying for quite some time now, and his face was tear-stained. His tunic was torn up from guard abuse and his own pity-throes. When his soft, green eyes lifted up to see the Princess of Hyrule, he felt sick. Hadn't he just meant to kill her? He must be going insane...

"Eric... we need to talk," Zelda said in a kind voice. Eric snickered a bit.

"Sure. What about, princess?" Eric asked, his voice that of a man expecting death.

"I don't think that you were the one who poisoned Lady Yi."

"But, surely you saw me do it? Everyone is certain that it was me..."

"Yes, I saw what appeared to be you, but many things can trick the eye. It is my suspicion that someone else may be the culprit here," she assured him. He looked confused for a moment, then shook his head and dismissed it.

"That's impossible. In a fit of insanity I poisoned the ambassador, and I deserve the ultimate penalty for it," he said weakly. Zelda was growing annoyed, but her love for justice kept her going.

"Are you absolutely certain? You didn't look insane when you came out with the drinks. And besides, where would you have gotten the poison? The only people in Hyrule who make toxins of such potency are the Gerudo."

Eric stared at her, awed by her persistence. He knew in his heart that he hadn't, but everyone said they saw someone who looked exactly like him perform the act. Eric thought for certain that he had just gone temporarily insane and forgotten the incident, but he couldn't convince his gut. And now the Princess was calling him innocent? Something had to be going on.

"Wait a second... what about that other server, Cedric?" Eric wondered aloud. "Where's he?"

Eric remembered that all of the servers but Cedric had been sick this day. Even he still had a cold. And then... he remembered Cedric did something to him... and then it was all foggy.

"Cedric was home sick today, Eric. Why?" Zelda asked in response.

"No! That's not right!" Eric racked his brain. "I was home sick today! Cedric was in perfect health!" he shouted. He remembered very clearly seeing Cedric walk around fit as a fiddle that morning.

"Eric... that's impossible. We saw Cedric show up, tell us that he was sick, and return home."

Suddenly, it all fell into place in Eric's mind.

"Wait! That's it! I thought something looked odd about Cedric this morning! Because he had my body and I was in his! That's what he did to me! I'll kill him!" he shouted, trying to get out of his cell. Fortunately, it was still locked.

"Eric! Calm down!" Zelda demanded.

"NO! I know what happened!" he raged.

"Well then tell me! You don't have to shout, I'm right here," she said, rather annoyed. Eric finally sat down and explained it.

"I remember now. Cedric, he used some kind of magic, and he looked like me and I looked like him. Then, I was sort of mindless for a while, and told everyone that I was going to be home sick for a while. Then I ended up just waiting along Cedric's escape route, where the guards found me... and that was when everything came back to me. He must have ended the spell's effect, and switched us back. I don't know why, but that's what happened! You've got to believe me!" he said rather pathetically, clinging against the bars of the cell. Zelda was having a hard time believing him, and yet it sounded completely right. She gazed at the back of her hand and felt slight warmth coming from it. Though she didn't know it, it was the Triforce of Wisdom telling her that Eric was in fact correct.

"Eric... I do believe you. But how am I supposed to convince anyone else? What proof do you have that your story is true?" she asked. Eric thought for a little bit, then came up with an answer.

"Search Cedric's house... he would be there... acting all innocent. If it had been me, then he'd still be bedridden with sickness. So the only way we can prove that I'm innocent is if he's not lying sick in bed... unless he got better somehow... but that's not possible, right? And, why would he want to kill Yi? That's a point that needs to be considered. Obviously it would be to cause something to happen between Hyrule and Yixgrin. So there's no point in him staying here... Hyrule is going to be a war zone. I bet he's gone off somewhere."

Zelda stared at Eric for a while. For a servant, he was drawing a lot of conclusions, and was so sure about them that it was as if he absolutely knew they were true. The glow in her hand seemed to agree. 

"Well Eric, you've raise a lot of good points... I'm sure we can keep you alive for a while longer. We should be able to prove Cedric guilty soon enough. Stay strong, okay?" she asked. 

"Of course, Princess... I don't want to die," he said, almost too confidently. Zelda nodded, then left. In her heart, she felt a strong sense of need for Link. He had been gone for so very long... surely the Kingdom of Hyrule needed him now. And that Eric person... he was so detestable at times, but justice had to be served. She couldn't help but feel something odd from him, though. 

As Zelda walked away, Eric sat down and leaned against the back wall. Yes, of course everything he said was true. But he couldn't sound too sure; he had his own agenda to take care of, and if Zelda or anyone else caught on, there would be a problem. No, no one could find out that Eric was in fact out to get the Triforce. Eric knew full well what had happened; he was no ordinary Hylian. 

In fact, he wasn't Hylian at all.

He could sense the latent energies in the Princess and even in that boy, Link, back when he had still been in Hyrule. He knew the legend of how the Triforce would split into three parts when an unbalanced person touched it. He felt the Triforce of Wisdom pulse in the palm of Zelda, and the Triforce of Courage in Link's hand. So where was the Triforce of Power? It wasn't too hard to figure out.

The Triforce of Wisdom knew all. All of the time he had served under Zelda, he was gathering information. It was Gannon, the King of Evil, who held the Triforce of Power. If Eric played his cards right, it would be easy to gather all of the pieces of the Triforce together and grab it for himself. What assurance did he have that he would hold the entire Triforce after it happened? Simply because legend didn't apply to him.

It wasn't every day someone like Eric came into the world. He came from a small village at the farthest reaches of the Death Mountain Range, one without a name and one where he knew no family. There was only the Master. The Master, who taught him to sense energies in whoever he looked at, who taught him the arts of sword-wielding, archery, various different martial arts and the weapons used in each one, and magic. With all that he had learned, Eric was at least a match for the fabled Link. 

In fact, he was about the same age as Link had been when he first headed out. His journey from the mountains to Hyrule made him even more powerful. Of course, no one suspected him of anything when he suddenly showed up, and a servant couple claimed that he was their child. Ever since then, he was secretly growing stronger all the time, plotting for the time when he would be able to take the Triforce. The appearance of Gannondorf had deterred him slightly, but soon enough he just disappeared. Of course, he knew what had happened; Link had gone forward in time, banished him to the Sacred Realm, and then gone back. And as a backlash effect, Gannon remained in that Realm.

So what did it all mean? It meant that Eric, with no birth name other than the title of Sage, had only to wait. He would lay low, and not get anyone suspicious. That way, nothing would stand in his way when he came out of hiding to seize the Triforce for himself. Even if his power did outweigh his courage or wisdom, his birthright would allow him either to take it whole, or seek down the fragments. He just needed to let Gannon do his work now, and eventually the fragments would come together as one. And then, Eric would take it for himself. What a beautiful plan! If Eric hadn't been taught the beauty of modesty and humility, he would lavish himself with even more self-compliments. He had to keep up the pathetic dead-man appearance though. So back into the character he slipped. Meanwhile, Link was busy making battle plans for the people of Naryia.

Though there was a lot of confusion at Skyla's camp when Link arrived, everything was sorted out easily enough, and soon Link was discussing tactics with the General.

"So you are the Hero of Legend, Link?" he asked. Link nodded.

"I never would have expected the winds to carry my tales of success so far. All I know is that I can only stay here until my horse gets better, because my own kingdom is in need of my help," he responded, looking at Skyla with a bit of disappointment. "However, I definitely think I can give Naryia a fighting chance against this Yargon and his creatures. It has been brought to my attention that his minions have a severe weakness to light. Correct?"

The General and his staff nodded. Link smiled a bit, and produced his bow. He set it down on the table, and leaned in.

"Gentlemen, I think I have the answer right here."

"What could possibly be so special about a simple bow? We have plenty of our own, you know," one of the General's assistants said. Link chuckled softly.

"Can they do this?" he asked, picking up the bow and aiming it out the door, where no one would get in the way. He pulled an arrow from the quiver on his back, and set it to the bow. Then, in a flash of light, it had a ring of light around it. Link released the arrow, and it flew off into the evening twilight. He placed the bow back down on the table and sat down.

"Now do you understand?" he asked. There were silent nods from around the table, except from Skyla, who just smiled.

"So, Link, what is your plan?" the General asked.

"Simple. Since the land of Naryia is flowing with magic, I bet we could teach your archers to tap into said magic, and produce arrows just like my light arrows. And I already have plans drawn out in my head for making a ballista that can launch heavy missiles with the same quality. And if I could just have some maps, I bet I could get some great defensive positions. As for offense..."

Maps and sustenance were soon brought, and late into the night, Link discussed battle plans with the general. Around midnight, Skyla left. And at three in the morning, the planning came to a close. Link left to allow the General to make final adjustments to the plan based on the status of his soldiers. First, he went to check on Epona. She was asleep, so Link left her be. What a great horse she was. 

"Isn't she great?" he heard a voice from over his shoulder. He turned around, and there was Skyla.

"Hey, what're you doing up so late, er, early?" he asked. She didn't answer until she was right next to him, looking at his horse.

"Oh, I never go to sleep when battle plans are brewing. I get too excited. I saw you leaving the meeting, so I decided to see where you were going. Wise choice, to check on your horse. But you don't have to worry, all of the men here are very competent, and she's in good hands."

Link leaned against the fence, sighing deeply.

"That's a relief. But tomorrow is going to be a trying day. We should both get some sleep."

Skyla smiled at him. "I guess you're right... but... you know I'm too energetic to just go to sleep. Something... or someone... will have to wear me out."

Link looked at her, chuckling a bit. "What are you saying?" he asked. She smirked, and started tugging him by his wrist. He followed along as she led him to her tent.

"Skyla, I was going to sleep at Epona's stable," he protested. She pretended to look aghast.

"Are you suggesting that I was suggesting that you would sleep in my own tent?" she asked, chuckling. Link gestured like crazy to dismiss it.

"No! No, not at all! I just wanted to make sure that, you know, nothing too drastic happens. I have to go back to Hyrule, and I can't be getting into a relationship with you if you're staying here," he said, suddenly with a stern look on his face.

"Aw. Party pooper. Well... what if I come with you?" she asked. Link sighed. 

"Are you sure you can handle the rigors of travelling through the country with me?"

"Of course! I can handle anything. I was the one who saved you from that Stalker, if you'll recall."

"Right after I saved you from those soldiers."

She nudged him playfully.

"So we saved each other. Shouldn't we do something about it?"

Link considered for a bit, looking up and down his companion's body.

"I don't know... I've always been a loner, and suddenly I'm having second thoughts about the idea of a relationship. And why are you so eager, anyway? Surely I'm not that attractive," he added. Skyla considered this for a moment. He had a couple of good points.

"Okay, here's my final offer. You have any idea what the chances are of me getting any other guy of appropriate age to be with me? They all hate me for my rank in the military. You're the only one so far and probably the only one ever that doesn't seem to care. Besides, you're the only one who could keep up with me on any of my missions, which are basically my life. I... I don't know if an opportunity like this will ever come along again."

"Skyla, you don't know if you'll even live through this. Making plans for relationships isn't exactly a smart idea."

"But, Link... it couldn't hurt, could it?" she asked, smiling almost as if she was begging, nodding back towards her tent.

"Okay, Skyla. I'll give it a chance. But nothing too serious, got it?" he asked.

"Of course! Oh, Link, I'm so happy!"

He nodded a bit, remembering how good her lips tasted.

"Shall we?" he asked, starting into her tent.

"Hey! Ladies go first."

She moved in front of him, but soon pulled him in after her, so he was laying on top of her.

"Woh! At least let me get off my gear first, Skyla."

She giggled innocently.

"Silly me. Go ahead."

Soon enough they were kissing deeply, and a swirl of twisted thoughts and blurred emotions flew through Link's head. But he didn't care; Skyla was such a blessing to a lonely warrior as he, there seemed to be no other choice. Besides, this could be his only chance to try anything like this. So Link decided to enjoy the night. It never got too serious - nothing more than kissing - but Link never got back to the stable.


	5. Let there be Light

****

5

Yi found a sharp blade resting against her throat. The cocky smile of a Gerudo Warrior gleamed down the handle of the blade at her.

"You are quite bold to enter the Valley of the Gerudo. Please, could you inform me as to why I shouldn't end your pathetic life right now?" the Gerudo asked. Yi chuckled. Yes, she could destroy that pathetic creature with ease, but she had other intentions.

"I bring word from the Great Gannondorf," she announced. The Gerudo looked shocked for a moment, but soon regained her composure and gave Yi's neck a little nudge with the flat of the blade.

"Do you take me for an idiot? The Great Gannondorf disappeared years ago, and no one has heard from him since. Why would you, a lowly worm from the plains, have any contact with the Great Gannondorf?" the Gerudo inquired. Yi rolled her eyeballs down towards her cloak pocket.

"Look in there. You'll see your proof."

"Okay, you've got my interest. Sapphire!" the Gerudo called out. Another Gerudo, dressed in more elegant garb, jumped down from an overlooking ledge.

"What is it?" Sapphire asked, almost annoyed.

"This person here says she is an ambassador of the Great Gannondorf, and that proof is in her pocket!" the Gerudo claimed. Sapphire wore a skeptical look.

"Why hasn't she been knocked unconscious yet?" Sapphire demanded.

"Well...there's always the chance that she's telling the truth, in which case Gannondorf might punish us for insolence!"

Yi listened with slight interest, but while the two were engaged in conversation, she decided to elevate her position. In a flash, she was on top of the ledge Sapphire had been on, looking down on the befuddled pair.

"The proof is simple. In my pocket is a stone containing a spell entrusted to me by the Great One. I just saved one of you from complete paralysis; only I can touch the stone. Don't believe me?" she asked, not giving them a chance to answer before flashing back down behind them. They turned around, shocked. She was holding out the stone.

"Any takers?" Yi asked. Sapphire nudged the other Gerudo.

"Why me?" she whined.

"Because you've failed already. If it is a spell from the Great Gannondorf, then you will have died serving his purpose. If not, then chances are it won't work anyway. Now go!" Sapphire commanded, nudging the other Gerudo. She stumbled forward a bit, then grabbed the stone from Yi's hand. At first, nothing happened, but when she tried to turn around to face Sapphire, she found her legs to be stuck. They had in fact turned to stone, and the stone was spreading up her body. 

"Ahh! Help me!" she shouted, struggling to get free. Sapphire watched in a combination of terror and fascination, as the Gerudo was completely petrified. She had become a standing statue. Yi smiled, held out a hand, and let a magical aura flow over the stone Gerudo. Suddenly she was returned to normal.

"I... I feel sick," muttered the Gerudo. Without so much as a thank you, she headed back to the fortress. Sapphire, however, had more business to discuss.

"That was quite a trick you pulled there. What is your name?"

"I am called Lady Yi, the Ambassador of Gannondorf," she said, with a bit of a bow.

"Well then, Lady Yi. I am Sapphire. It would seem as though we have much to discuss."

"Indeed we do."

"Follow me to the planning room. May Gannondorf reign supreme," Sapphire concluded, heading towards the fortress.

"Quite..." Yi said softly as she followed. All went according to plan. Cedric should just be arriving at the outskirts of Yixgrin Village. The war would begin soon.

At the same time, another war was about to be waged in Naryia. It was early in the morning, and Link woke up on top of a wide cot in Skyla's tent. Skyla was nowhere to be seen, but that was predictable. The girl seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of energy, always ready for anything. It was no surprise that she had gotten up already. 

What had been surprising was all that went on last night.

Link had never thought spending time with a girl could be so wonderful. It had all started off as simple kissing, but before he knew it they were both half-naked and practically melting into each other. He wasn't sure, but if time presented itself, he thought he would try and go even farther the next night. But right now there was work to be done. He put his tunic and boots back on, then dragged his gear and his own body out of the tent. Just as he looked up from securing the Deku nuts to his side, there was a smiling face gazing at him. Link smiled back at Skyla, and gave her a quick kiss.

"How are you, Skyla?" he asked. She chuckled a little bit, fingering one of her earrings. 

"I'm fine. And you?"

"Just great. I didn't tell you this last night, but the General promoted me to Captain."

"Really? Well aren't you the lucky one," she said, chuckling a bit. Link smiled at her sincerely.

"You were right, I think. Last night was definitely a good idea."

Skyla smiled and pursed her lips, trying not to laugh. Link stood defiantly.

"What is it?"

"You've got some lipstick on your face," she said in a rush. Link nearly jumped back in surprise before he began to wipe it off. Skyla came near him, and ran a hand under his hat, ruffling his hair.

"You're really a cute guy," she said affectionately. Link fixed up his hair and hat, smiling with the slightest hint of annoyance.

"And you're a cute girl. But there's work to be done. Can we save this sort of thing for later?" he inquired.

"Oh, you're right. Okay. So what's the plan?" she asked. Link thought for a moment.

"Well, you're supposed to go out and get information on the enemy battle strategy. I'm supposed to supervise the archer training."

"So we won't be working together?" 

"Not this time, I'm afraid. But there will be other times. Now get going! The sooner you get out there, the sooner you return, the sooner we'll be with each other again."

"Ah, okay. Bye, Link!" Skyla called, heading off.

"Bye, Skyla. Be careful!"

He got a playful headshake in return. Of course she would be careful; she had to return to him, didn't she? Well anyway, Link had work to do. He headed to the archery range of the camp. Meanwhile, big things were happening at Hyrule Castle.

"This is an outrage! You mean to tell me that one of our servants who had claimed to be seriously ill just disappeared without so much as a message of explanation?" the King demanded. The chief soldier stammered to explain.

"Y-yes sir, that's what it appears to be. According to the Princess, this at least makes that servant Eric free of penalty. I don't know if we can label him innocent, but-"

"Silence! I will handle the sentencing here. You will begin serious investigation into the disappearance of Cedric."

"Yes sir!" the chief shouted, rushing out to avoid any further wrath from the King. Zelda entered the throne room then, and began discussing with her father.

"Father, I would like to keep Eric alive for the time being. Every bone in my body tells me that he is innocent, and the disappearance of Cedric makes his story far more plausible," she said. The King nodded, considering her opinion.

"Well, Zelda, you have never been wrong about this sort of thing before. I don't intend to stop listening to you now. However, I will be keeping that servant in the dungeon. We must not allow a repeat of what happened to Yi."

"Of course, Father. I thank you for your consideration," Zelda said, leaving the room. She had classes to attend to. But with the knowledge that Eric would for now be left alive, she wasn't as concerned about things as she normally was. However, it would turn out that she would have to be worried about Eric being alive. He was a very dangerous person.

As a matter of fact, he was already plotting his next move. It was hard to train being stuck in a dungeon, but he would have to if he was going to beat Gannon. So Eric would have to get out. But if he just disappeared, he would be suspected, and he couldn't hold off all of Hyrule's army. So there was only one thing to do: convince the guards that he was still there. It was easy enough to do. All that was needed was a simple mimic spell; it would bend the light in the area to look exactly like him. Then he would set up a relay so that if anyone was talking to the image, he could teleport back and do the talking. It was a foolproof plan. 

So Eric set about the preparations. He would have his training, all right. And when the time came, the Triforce would be his.

As this happened, Cedric was moving through the town near Yixgrin Castle. No one there knew him, so there was no need to worry about anyone stopping to talk. And if any guards got in his way to begin interrogating him, he had an alibi all worked out. He was just the last surviving member of a troupe of entertainers that had been attacked by monsters in the area, and was looking for his relative in the area. There was no way he could be stopped in town.

When Cedric reached the castle, he had more trickery to make his way in. The guards had been informed that he was the brother of one of the servants there, and was coming to visit him. Then it would be simple enough to slip some poison into the dinner of the ambassador from Hyrule. War would be sealed. Truly, Master Gannon was a genius. Soon, Cedric would be the ruler of Hyrule, and that pathetic Princess would be rotting in Hell. 

It was almost night at the camp. Link was just finishing up his training of the archers.

"FIRE!" Link shouted. The archers released their Light Arrows and struck the targets dead on. Cheers of triumph erupted through the ranks. Link applauded for them.

"Congratulations, troops! You now know how to use the Light Arrow. What is a Light Arrow?"

"A weapon of Purity to destroy the Darkness!" shouted the archers. Link nodded.

"And what must we do to use the Light Arrow?"

"Clear our hearts of Evil!"

"Good! And what is the target of our Light Arrow?"

"Yargon and his minions!"

"What will we do with the Light Arrow, troops?"

"Destroy Yargon!"

"YES! Now you have the power. Troops, it has been my pleasure to serve as your instructor. The progress you have made in one day is truly fascinating. Continue to practice until you receive further orders."

"Yes sir!"

And with that, Link headed off to find the General. Most likely he was supervising the outer defense line construction. The country of Naryia was mostly forest, and most of the forest was now under Yargon's control. This branch of the army had set up their forces near where intelligence reported that Yargon's forces were building up. A few messengers had already been dispatched to inform the rest of the army, as well as the forces that were protecting the villages to the rear of the army's position. Hopefully, the word about Light Arrows and how to use them would spread fast enough. 

The layout of Link's camp allowed for quite effective defensive positions. Walls and towers were spread out in the area; though some were beaten down, others were more strengthened. All of the walls had battlements, and soon the archers would be guarding them with their powerful weapons. Behind the walls were the camps of various soldier squads, wielding weapons like maces, pikes, long-swords, and even a few groups of horse-mounted warriors. Dispersed evenly through the middle and back lines were the ballista, which would also soon be charged with the Light magic. It was simple enough; it just took some trained soldiers to power each missile with the same energy the archers used for their Light Arrows. 

The final lines of defense consisted mainly of the same things that the front and middle lines did - towers and walls - but they were more finely dispersed, and possessed one major advantage: the presence of Link. He was a very skilled fighter, and could easily take on many of Yargon's soldiers with his arrows. And he was now prepared for the nastiness of close combat. He remembered long ago, when he had first fought against Gannondorf, that he had used Iron Knuckles against him. Link figured that while the Stalkers would be faster, the same general principle would hold true for defeating them. Link was an accomplished dodger, and it shouldn't be too hard, as long as he kept out of that tail's range.

As Link headed out towards the outer defensive ranges, Skyla approached him, an urgent look on her face.

"Skyla! How is everything?" he asked. She got close to him, caught her breath, and relayed the message.

"Link, Yargon's forces are attacking! As I was out scouting, I saw them and they were mobilizing! The outer defense reaches are about to engage them now!"

"Damn! I thought we had more time! But no time for complaints now. Skyla, I need you to go get my archers and tell them to reinforce the first line they come across that is in need of assistance. I'm going up to the front!"

Skyla was barely able to grab onto him to keep him from rushing forward.

"Wait, Link!"

"Skyla, what is it?" he asked in a pained voice.

"Be careful, okay?" she asked.

"Of course, Skyla."

She smiled. "Okay then. Here's one for good luck." 

She placed a quick kiss on his forehead, then rushed off to his archers.

"Kick butt, Link!"

That was just what Link intended to do.

Yargon peered into his magical viewing portal. It seemed that so many things were going on in the world at present. That boy in Hyrule was going to become a real nuisance if he continued his progress at his current rate. Yixgrin was about to go to war with Hyrule, because of some magical intervention of sorts. Yargon wasn't sure what it was, but he would know soon enough, when he conquered the country. And in Hyrule, there was another, Yi... she might prove to be a problem as well. And then there was the other boy, Link... he knew all about the Hero of Legend. Who didn't? Of course, he was just another potential servant. There was nothing to worry about it. He could use his Light Arrows to kill as many of his warriors as he liked. Soon, Link would be Yargon's personal servant.


End file.
